The Testing of King Caspian
by Dance Boheme
Summary: Narnia has only just seen Lucy, Edmund, Susan and Peter depart, yet danger is still lurking. Can Caspian X deal with the new threats to his land and restore peace? Will the dreams of a woman he doesn't know come to fruition or linger merely as dreams?
1. Chapter 1

"Your majesty. The time has come... We are all in grave danger! Narnia, my Lord, she is in danger!"

The voice cried out hoarse and thin across a marble laden hall, immediately bringing attention to the otherwise drab old hermit man who cried them.

"The comet. The High Lady Banshee... She will reign again! Agai..."

And with that, darkness descended upon the old man. Swifter than his words had been delivered, so he had died, and the perpetrator scurried away unscathed.

"Revive him!"

King Caspian X narrowed his eyes in disbelief at the spectacle that had unfolded in his own hall. Someone had stabbed this man with a poisoned knife. Reviving the man would be an impossible feat, but Caspian was willing to try any means necessary in order to understand what sort of future troubles awaited the Narnian king.

"It's not worth it your Majesty, the old man's past it..."

Furrowing his brow, Caspian strode over to the lifeless lump.

"Check his person in the back quarters. If you find anything of worthy note, bring it to my quarters immediately, is that understood?"

A salute confirmed this alongside an "Aye, Sire!".

Caspian strode with long footsteps towards his quarters where his own personal collection of historical memoirs was kept lounging on a decadent bookcase.

_A comet. A banshee. This means something. It's all so soon. Too soon! The daughters and sons of Eve have only just left me as the king of Narnia. I will falter before I fall. I need help. I need to use the horn of Queen Susan..._

He hurried his pace to a jog, and quickly sifted through the pile of things that lay on the bookshelf. The horn, he had found it. He traced his fingertips, his touch lingering as he thought of the kiss he had shared with Queen Susan. It was not often he got to see such strong willed women. Telmarine women courted men in an altogether different sort of ceremony which could mean months before a kiss like that could be shared between a couple. There were other girls, he knew that. He also knew Susan would not be coming back to Narnia; Aslan had made that very clear. He inwardly sighed. As a young man, he was unsure of his future, and he longed to feel that energy he felt he had felt with Susan with another woman.

_To use the horn now would be selfish; I must wait for a time I am in dire need to use it. For now, researching this comet is the top of my agenda. Help will come as I see fit, and right now isn't the time..._

Lord Chancellor Cornelius interrupted the thought patterns of Prince Caspian by rapping on the door.

"Nothing was found on the man, my boy. However, I do believe I know the tale of which the man spoke..."

Caspian looked up from the horn, his gaze no longer transfixed.

"Go on."

Cornelius cleared his throat with a hearty cough and pulled a chair on which to sit.

"Long ago, a mythical Charn queen invaded Narnia, imposing a selfish and frozen rule. You saw her, I am to believe. Jadis. She was tall and fair, of great beauty and of a strange danger as to transfix a man in his spot. I believe the old man who spoke out in your hall believed the upcoming comet shower, expected to appear every 100 years or so, is of a bad omen. He was not fully dead when we took his body into the back rooms Sire..."

Caspian strolled over to his four poster bed, and sat there stiffly, not uttering a word. Cornelius continued.

"He awoke from a comatose state, uttering, '_Hundreds of tens. Tens of hundreds. She will come again, and where is Aslan?'. _We have yet to decipher what he fully means by this, but I believe he means the comet star Desiderata, generally seen as a star of wealth and desires... It has always gone down in legend that at the time of comets, magic is stronger. Perhaps some of Jadis' followers plan on a revival? We must follow all leads Sire or Narnia will surely perish..."

Caspian lifted his head quickly, looking his dear old friend Cornelius squarely in the eyes.

"She is a witch. A woman of trickery. I will not allow Narnia to fall to a woman of such disgusting vices. She... She put a spell on me in Aslan's How. We know something now that should aid us against her; she needs the blood of Adam's son in order to be fully revived... Her followers, do you believe some of them could be Telmarines?"

Cornelius shrugged. The leads were few on the story, it had only been uncovered some matter of minutes, and so far, could turn out to be a ruse played out by the few who wished Caspian to rule no longer. But at such a fragile time, all leads had to be carried out to a sufficient standard, and Cornelius couldn't quite irk the feeling in the back of his head. It was an odd feeling, like none he had felt before. An itching, a fear of things to come.

"I have no idea, my Lord. I can only hope that would not be so. May I, however, suggest sending a search team to the How? Retrieving any remnants of the last time the Ice Witch was seen?"

Caspian thought back to that day, longing for answers stuck inside his head. _The wand. Hers, perhaps?_

"I will go with the search team."

Cornelius pushed his chair back as he stood upright.

"You are a king now, my boy! You have people to look after! You will stay here, and send a team out. Your people need you!"

Caspian too, stood upward to possess a more imposing figure.

"My people need me, and I will help them by saving them from such a cruel witch! She had a wand; I know that has something to do with this. Cornelius, you are my Lord Chancellor... Take care of home affairs. I will set up a small search team. Keep my people safe. I will not be gone long."

Cornelius knew he could not argue with the boy. He had a strong will, as his father before him. He clasped a hand on Caspian's right shoulder, firmly, nodding his head to show he understood what the boy meant.

"Good luck boy, I dare say you may well be needing it."

**Well. I saw "Prince Caspian" earlier today, and was somewhat inspired to write a story... It shouldn't be too long. I've half a mind to do a CaspianxOC sort of ficlet, before he cops off with his future wife that is...**

**You know the score though, R&R if you want fast updates. Don't review if you don't want updates, yadda, yadda...**


	2. Chapter 2

Across the high seas of Narnia, a pirate ship nestled to the docks of an otherwise hitherto unimportant town. The sailors of the ship pleasured themselves gratuitously with women, drink and food. Frittering away the last remnants of their payment under a drink induced facade. On the ship however, small and delicate fingers counted piles of gold and etched with ink onto a scroll of parchment that months current takings.

"...very good takings I must say for the current season. We will be nearing the Port of Princesettia soon. I've as of yet to decide on a course of action."

The voice called out to the small deck hand that quivered in the corner of the decadent quarters. The deck hand, a man who went by the name of Sylvan Whiterunner, fumbled his greasy hands together in contemplation. His creaky voice answered slowly, "Kill them all perhaps? Then we can take everything..."

A fist pounded on the table, sending piles of coinage to fall noisily onto the polished wood floor.

"Dread pirates may be renowned for their wreckless behaviour Whiterunner, but I can deeply assure you that I will behead any man who ever so much as harms an innocent man, child or woman. We will kill those who oppose us. No more."

The eyes of the speaker narrowed, and they once again settled for the joys of accounts keeping.

Fresh out onto the open sea again, and the pair of eyes that had been locked away in darkness and accounts keeping now stung slightly with the bittersweet tears of saltwater. The eyes themselves reflected the sea well, round and blue, flecks of grey stardust marring their overall blueness. Framed by long lashes, the seductiveness of the eyes were well framed for any potential suitor, but the eyes had long given up on true love. As a dread pirate, love wasn't to be expected. The eyes instead, found solace in greed and poetry, and they were rather happy with that lifestyle, if truth be told.

"Ma'am."

The eyes turned to the deck hand who served as their butler of the sea.

"What is it?"

The deck hand exhaled from his nose, a snort coming out to communicate a sigh of sorts.

"We're nearly at the home of the old kings and queens..."

The eyes smiled, in tune with the grin on the woman's face.

"Cair Paravel... More beautiful in its ruins than I could ever have imagined."

--

The horses were ready, geared and primed for their journey to Aslan's How. Caspian had been fitted out with a generic scouting uniform, the personal touch of his crest being the only giveaway to who he truly was.

_I have read the books, but am I truly aware of what I seek?_

He contemplated using the horn, summoning old friends once more to help him on an adventure, like they had done not so long ago. He knew however that it was futile. He couldn't be deftly sure that he would summon them and not someone else from their strange world. Was it really worth dragging them into something that hadn't been thoroughly explored? There was no immediate danger; Caspian was just taking precautionary measure. After all, it was better to be safe than sorry.

Mounting his horse, he looked at the select group of men who joined him. All well renowned for their brave encounters, these few men would serve him well. Caspian pondered to himself whether these men knew the seriousness of this mission, or whether they were just eager to join the expedition by means of a bragging sport for when they returned home. It wasn't often a soldier got to ride so closely to the king, and surely when these men returned home to their wives and children praise upon them would be great.

"Our journey is to take approximately four to five days ride, there and back. Presumed danger is thought to be low, ride swiftly and take great care."

The horses were giddy with excitement, the weight on their backs suggesting a trek far afield. The men and their king rode out through the cobbled streets and onto plains, headed for the woods whereby they would cross a river.

It turned dark after hours of trekking through the woods on horseback. The men set up camp on a patch of leaves, humouring themselves with ghost stories whilst they ate. Caspian lay silently on his hammock, brooding in contemplation, nodding off as he fought his tiredness.

_A woman with skin as white as snow. Caspian walked up to her, cupping her face in his hands as he searched her face. Who was this woman? He had seen her countless times in his dreams since the Pevensie children had left Narnia, and now all he longed for was her name. Was she even real? She smiles at him, her eyes unable to meet his, her cheeks reddening, and forming dimples as she smiles._

He awoke suddenly, staring up at the morning moon, the sun fighting her off as he fought for his rightful dominance of the sky. Caspian shimmied off the hammock towards a pot of water with which to clear the grime from his face. Today hopefully they would arrive at the How, and this mess that plagued his head during the day would leave him. It was only his nightmare plague that would continue, but he daren't tell anyone of those dreams. They were childish fancies, his mind compensating for the loss of a girl he'd never fully know. He thought less and less of Susan these days, his teenage attentions turning to other girls, but he never pursued them. He had dreamt too long of this strange creature, he had to fully ascertain whether it was a premonition or just a dream. Either way, right now it did not fit in with the mission at hand, and would have to remain a night terror until he finally had the chance to lapse into self indulgences.

The men had begun to stir, it was still early morning and many were keen to serve a good impression to their king. Caspian was fully ready, attaching his rolled up hammock to the back of his saddle.

"If we ride quickly Sire, we should be able to make the How by nightfall."

Caspian nodded sternly at the man who had talked.

"Very well. The only real trouble afterwards is entering the How. I've no idea how we will surmount such a feat..."

The other soldiers grumbled. They hadn't thought much of actually entering the How. They just presumed it would be an easy in and out task. Now they thought more on the matter, it was clear that this would not be the case. One of the younger soldiers piped up enthusiastically, "Sire! Your horn! You could blow it; the trees could help us, as they did for you not so long ago!".

The other men laughed at the boy, jeering to the trees that surrounded them to help, and slapping the young soldier on his helmet. Caspian stared down at Susan's horn.

"You may well be onto something there, soldier. It certainly entertains a thought..."

He smiled as he readied himself to mount his horse. Perhaps that was truly the way to remove the debris that blocked the entrance to the How. Hopefully some of the soldiers who had stayed behind to bury the honoured dead would still be at the How, to help with clearing the debris. Ropes and horses might not move the larger chunks of rock that stood so stiffly.

_And then, my Ice Queen, we will thwart your efforts to take my rightful throne. Narnia will remain at peace under King Caspian X. _

**Well, I had already written this chapter, so am using a "BOGOF" offer to entice you all to R&R. Expect an update in a week or so. If I get my act together and see that people are reading this, I might update a bit faster!  
******


	3. Chapter 3

Arriving at the How in due time, Caspian noted how both the men and horses were gasping for breath. The journey had taken them little under two days- good timing, but it had worn them out. Attempting to retrieve the wand at this immediate instance he realised would be futile. His men needed food and rest, a time for reflection on their good duties done this day. They would be heavily compensated upon the arrival home, promotions and such guaranteeing them and their families a comfortable existence.

Caspian looked at the decrepit tomb of the How. Bleak, its outermost layer was a ruin of rock since the battle that had taken place earlier that year. Caspian remembered the fight between his uncle Miraz and High King Peter. It was odd to think that it had not been long ago. His memories were washed out and hazy, all he remembered was the fear they had all felt that the battle could be lost. His eyes growing weary, Caspian slumped onto the floor, away from his men.

_A king should be happy with his existence. I have all the finery I could need, and good people. Why is it I feel so incomplete? I have lost the only childhood friends I truly believe I have ever had... That must be why._

His eyes closed, and the young king fell asleep.

"I don't know why we're bothering."

"Because, my friend, he is the king. We are the soldiers. We do as he says."

The two soldiers bickered like school children, their familiars quietening them as they argued so as not to wake the young king.

"You'll wake him! Do you want our heads on a stick?"

The eldest guard hissed at his friends, his brown eyes widening and his beard flecked with spit as his mouth movements echoed that of a snake.

The two who had been arguing stopped momentarily, glancing over towards where Caspian slept. The one of lighter complexion, Dustin, scowled.

"He's fine. Our young king is obviously a heavy sleeper..."

The elder guard scrunched his nose in annoyance. These men did not yet trust their king, and so far seemed to show little respect for the poor boy. Not the best of starts for the young man, that was sure. The guard sighed as he strapped his sandals up to military standard- precise and proper. Caspian had a lot of work to do in order to set a decent public image, and it certainly wasn't going to be made easy by his new subjects.

Caspian awoke amid fully fledged conversation, his eyes stinging at the bright sun that shone upon them.

"What is it you speak of?" he queried, rubbing his red eyes as he said so.

The men's voices came to a sudden halt; dare they tell the young man the truth and risk their livelihood, or even worse, their lives? No one spoke for what seemed a couple of seconds, eyes darting around an overgrown field, desperate not to look the young king directly in his eyes. Caspian 

looked around at his fellow men, wondering why they had so desperately clammed up, why the atmosphere was so tense.

"I queried as to what you were all speaking of. Why the sudden silence?"

The guard named Dustin brushed the worried sweat off his brow, flicking it to his feet.

"We..." He looked around at his friends for comfort, receiving none from his fellows, all of whom steadfastly stared at the ground. "We were wondering how we would actually get INTO the How. I mean to say Sire, is it foolish to think that the horn will solve all our problems?"

Caspian looked down at the horn that nestled comfortably by his side, dangling from his belt. This soldier, he was right. Caspian wasn't sure whether the horn would work, whether they could even enter the How after its subsequent transpiring obliteration. He presumed they could claw their way through the entrance to the warren like tunnels. There were some larger chunks of rock, that much was true, but it only needed a small man to enter and retrieve the wand, that was all, he was almost sure of it.

"We can surely tunnel our way in? We have rope to attach to the larger chunks of stone, we can use the horses to tow it away..."

His idea sounded faltering and desperate, he inwardly jerked at the hilarity of his suggestion, but the men did not stir.

"Sire, for now that seems the best course of action." The eldest man bowed, his long military tunic making an odd stretch of fabric noise as he did so.

--

Attaching the rope to what seemed the easiest boulder to move to begin with, Caspian stood back as his men slapped the horses on the rear end to get them moving. He prayed that his idea would work, if it didn't, not only would he look foolish in front of his men, but the old prophecy could even come true...

The boulder shuddered slowly as it edged its way from the entrance. A small gap, no bigger than a small boy was left, Caspian's grin shone wildly.

"Excellent! Just a few more, and we will be able to enter!"

Serving true to his prediction, four more goes and the entrance was big enough for a man to crawl his way in. The men entered in single file, carrying lit up torches to show them the way through the crumbling tunnels. The darkness created an atmosphere of nightmares, shadows lurking in the background, waiting to pounce. Little did the men know that the shadows they were imagining actually contained some substance...

--

"The broken table... How are you dear old friend?"

Caspian chuckled to himself as his fingers graced the wonders of the cold stone table. He looked beyond the far reaches of the stone table, his gaze fixated on the silver wand that lay on the floor, glistening in its own beauty.

"Sire! The wand..."

Caspian's gaze shot up at the man who whispered from behind him.

"Be careful soldier! Pick it up with fabric, we mustn't touch it, Aslan only knows the dangers it could work..."

The soldier obeyed his orders, picking it up with the scruff of his tunic, and placing it into an empty knapsack, slinging it unceremoniously over his shoulder. Caspian could only wonder as to his own contriteness, he felt that such a defining moment should warrant a special occasion, but then, his men were only on a simple mission, ceremonies were not always needed.

The eldest guard shuddered as he looked around at the darkness that enshrined the men. Instinctively, he pulled out his crossbow.

"I think we should relieve ourselves of this gloom Sire... This place does nothing but chill my bones..."

The younger guards laughed, "The old man's lost it, there's nothing here no more!" said one who had been arguing earlier that very day about Caspian's ineptitude as king.

"Look around you old Gill, what do you see? Notheenk. Because there's notheenk to see, right!?"

Old Gill, sneered at his younger friend, keeping the crossbow close to his chest. His gut instinct had served him well through years of pedigree military service, and he wasn't about to disregard it, to let his guard down could well cost him his life, or worse, that of King Caspian's.

"Yer'll be sorry if you keep acting that way Jose. Just you see..."

A moving shadow against a backdrop of darkness. Gill's eyes and crossbow followed the intruder's wake. He took no time in setting off the crossbow, there was no time for the intruder to scream. Only a gurgle and a slump as the body hit the floor. Caspian withdrew his sword, his men surrounded him in an effort to protect him. Gill reloaded his crossbow.

"Who is it who lurks in the shadows?" Caspian spoke out loud, his voice stern, his brow furrowing in anticipation of the intruders showing themselves.

"I asked who was there!" His voice grew louder, angrier, growling almost like a wild beast. Footsteps echoed in the small room, a cloaked figure with three counterparts who all dropped their weapons. Jose, generally the cockier of the militia edged forward, his sword pointed out towards these intruders. He pointed it towards the cloaked figure.

"Drop yer' weapons. DROP THEM."

He yelled, his anger emanating around the room as flecks of spittle flew onto the intruders. One of the younger intruders sobbed none so quietly, he was barely old enough to warrant his own weapons.

"She don't have any... Please we're not here for you..." He slunk back in tears, afraid of the king and his guards and the imminent danger that faced him.

Jose looked from the intruders to King Caspian, unaware of what to do in such a situation.

"What shall we do with these intruders Sire? Kill them?"

Caspian, shocked, ran forwards.

"Never. We will take them back with us, question them further. One cannot be careful in times such as this, their being here is far too suspicious for my liking..."

The young intruder boy's sobs grew louder. His voice shook as he spoke.

"We're just pirates Sir! Opportoonists... We came for treasure. Heard there were some in the area..."

Gill closed his eyes in quiet contemplation. He had just killed a thief, thinking the man to be of a larger threat. Whilst the death was not wholly justified and he felt some sort of immediate grief for the slaughter, it could not be helped. These men should not have been in the How. They were the ones who had risked their lives.

The guards pushed the pirates out onto the open field. Jostling them, sneering. Caspian wished his men did not rough house the intruders so, but he felt a quiet sort of anger towards them that he couldn't quite explain. He looked at the cloaked member of the party. Shorter in stature than the others, he presumed that they were an elderly bent over gent. The cloaked member, he also presumed, must be a soothsayer of some sort, wearing an elegant mask to cover their features. It worked well, but only for so long.

"Remove the mask."

The cloaked figure moved its gloved hands slowly towards its face, and removed the mask, placing it delicately on the ground.

"A woman?"

Gill was surprised. He had presumed all pirates were men, women were an unlucky omen at sea.

The face though, struck Caspian immediately. It was her, the very women who haunted his dreams so.

"You..."


End file.
